Non-refillable bottle.



PATENTED MAY l0', 1904.

J. B. FITZGERALD. 'NON-REFILLABLE BTTLE.

APPLIGAYTI'ON FILED SEPT. 24, 1903.

-N MODEL.

UNITED STATES Patented May 10, 1904.

PATENT OFFICE.

, NoN-REFILLABLE BOTTLE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 759,509, dated May 10, 1901.

Application filed September 24, 1903. Serial No. 174,514. (No model.) l

To @ZZ whom it nur/y concern.-

Be it known that l, JOHN BAPTIST FITZGER- ALD, a citizen of the United States, residing at Portage, in the county of Cambria and State of Pennsylvania,have invented a new and useful Non-Refillable Bottle,of whichthe following is a specification.

This invention relates to improvements in non-refillable bottles; and it consists in certain novel features of construction, as hereinafter shown and described, and specified in the claims.

The object of the invention is to produce a bottle having within its neck means for preventing the refilling ot' the same, but which will permit the ready discharge of the contents.

Tn the drawings illustrative of the invention, in which corresponding parts are denoted by like designating characters, Figure 1 is a longitudinal sectional elevation of the neck or throat portion of a bottle withthe improvement applied. Fig. 2 is a transverse section on the line 2 2 of Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is a view similar to Fig. 1, illustrating a modilication in the construction.

The device may be applied to any ot' the various forms of bottles, jugs,demijohns, jars, and the like for holding liquids which it is dcsired to protect and prevent the fraudulent reuse of the vessel and is constructed with an annular groove 10 in the inner face of the neck or throat 11 of the vessel intermediately of its length.

The improved closure for the vessel consists of a shell12, of relatively thin metal, with contracted apertures 13 14 in its ends, as shown. The shell is designed to closely lit the throat of the neck and is provided with resilient catches 15 for engagement with the groove 10, so that while the shell may be crowded into the neck the catches will effectually prevent its withdrawal, as will be obvious. The interior of the shell next the outer end is preferably conical in shape, as at 16, to assist in the discharge of the liquid and prevent the lodgment of portions in the shell. Transversely disposed within the shell at the base of the conical portion 16 is a screen 17, of wire-cloth or perforated metal and preferably curving upward in semispherical form,

as shown in Fig. 1, or which may be fiat, as

in Fig. 2, without departing from the principle of the invention. Either form of screen, however, may be used in both constructions shown in Figs. 1 and 3. Between the screen 17 and the inner aperture 14 a valve 18 is supported, opening outwardly and preferably providedwith a spring 19 to hold it yieldably closed, as shown.

A closing-cork 2O may-ibe employed eXteriorly of the ,shell 12, if preferred, as shown in Fig. 1.

In Fig. 3 a slight modification is shown in the construction, consisting in forming the upper part of the shell laterally extended, whereby a shoulder 21 is formed for engagement with the rim 22 of the bottle-neck, and when this form is employed the screen 17 will preferably rest upon this shoulder, as shown.

By this simple arrangement it will be obvious that when the cork 20 (if one be employed) is removed and the bottle inverted the pressure of the liquid will open the valve 18 and permit the discharge of the contents; but any attempt to insert liquid into bottle will be cifectually prevented by the valve, as will be obvious. rhe screen serves an important purpose in preventing any tampering with the valve.

The device is simple in construction and can be adapted without material change to any size of vessel requiring such devices.

Under some circumstances the valve 18 may be employed without the spring 19.

Having thus described the invention, what I claim isn 1. The combination with a bottle having in its throat an annular groove, a shell disposed in said throat and provided with relatively contracted apertures in its ends, resilient catches carried by said shell for engagement with said groove, a screen forming a diaphragm within said shell near its outer end, and a valve within the shell between its inner end and the screen, substantially as speciiied.

2. The combination with a bottle having in its throat an annular groove, a shell disposed in and engaging said throat said groove and with the upper portion laterally extended for engagement with the rim of the bottle and with relatively contracted apertures in its ends for the escape of the contents of the bottle, resilient catches carried by said shell for engagement with said groove, a screen forming a diaphragm within said shell and supported upon the shoulder formed by said lateral extension, and a valve within said shell between its inner end and said screen, substantially as specified.

3. The combination with a bottle having an interior annular groove in its throat, a shell disposed in said throat above said groove and provided with relatively contracted apertures in its ends, the interior of the shell being conical between its sides and the outer aperture,

resilient catches carried by said shell for engagement with said groove, a screen forming a diaphragm within the shell at the base of said conical portion, and a valve Within the shell between its inner end and said screen, substantially as specified.

4. The combination with a bottlehaving in its throat an annular groove, a shell disposed in said throat above said groove and provided with relatively contracted apertures in its ends, resilient catches at the inner ends of said shell for engagement with said groove, a screen forming a diaphragm within said shell near its outer end, and aspring-controlled valve within the shell between its inner end and the screen, substantially as specified.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my own I have hereto aiiiXed my signature in the presence of two witnesses.

JOHN BAPTIST FITZGERALD.

Witnesses:

PATRICK CoNovAN,

mark.

JOHN FITZGERALD. 

